Hi everyone, I''ve been thinking about what I''d like to build in Rails as my first major application. I''m working on the ''code scrapbook'' system I mentioned in an earlier post, but I''m thinking of channeling most of my work into a new application: a web-based accounting system targeted towards consultants/developers. Some of the features I''m thinking of: * Multi-User: Create as many user accounts as you need, and track who does what and when * Your client''s can download invoices directly from the web * Your client''s can pay invoices through a web interface (by CC) * Email or fax invoices to client''s with the click of a button * Very simple system for people who don''t want to spend all their time in their accounting system * Automatically generate various IRS or ATO tax forms, ready to be signed and printed * Generate balance sheets, profit/loss statements etc * Interface with webservice to allow for programatically created invoices (eg. if you provide a web-based service, can automatically generate invoice then collect payment and store this info in the system) * Import/Export CVS data. Great for exporting into an external accounting program. This will be quite a large project, and if you''re self-employed I''d love your opinion as to whether this kind of system would interest you? Not sure how much interest there would be in it, but I *think* there''s demand for a simple accounting system that automates as much as possible and isn''t "bogged down" by feature-creep. If I go ahead with this, I''d expect to charge around $10/month for a subscribtion. Would you fork that out for something like this? I wouldn''t be releasing the code under the GPL/BSD licences, but I would open source the system for educational purposes, so it would be a nifty set of code to learn Rails by example with. Apologies if this is a bit off-topic, but I figured I could get some good input from the list, and, if I''m motivated to go ahead with the project it''ll be a great Rails app to show off. Ben
The demand for this is pretty big. I know of a couple billing systems (ModernBill, DirectAdmin), but they''re all geared towards web hosting, and they''re lacking in a lot of areas. I use a home-grown billing app, but I know that the interest in this exact thing is high. On Apr 9, 2005 11:51 AM, Ben Myles <ben.myles-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w@public.gmane.org> wrote:> Hi everyone, > > I''ve been thinking about what I''d like to build in Rails as my first > major application. I''m working on the ''code scrapbook'' system I > mentioned in an earlier post, but I''m thinking of channeling most of > my work into a new application: a web-based accounting system targeted > towards consultants/developers. Some of the features I''m thinking of: > > * Multi-User: Create as many user accounts as you need, and > track who does what and when > * Your client''s can download invoices directly from the web > * Your client''s can pay invoices through a web interface (by CC) > * Email or fax invoices to client''s with the click of a button > * Very simple system for people who don''t want to spend all their time > in their accounting system > * Automatically generate various IRS or ATO tax forms, ready to be > signed and printed > * Generate balance sheets, profit/loss statements etc > * Interface with webservice to allow for programatically created > invoices (eg. if you provide a web-based service, can automatically > generate invoice then collect payment and store this info in the system) > * Import/Export CVS data. Great for exporting into an external accounting > program. > > This will be quite a large project, and if you''re self-employed I''d > love your opinion as to whether this kind of system would interest > you? Not sure how much interest there would be in it, but I *think* > there''s demand for a simple accounting system that automates as much > as possible and isn''t "bogged down" by feature-creep. > > If I go ahead with this, I''d expect to charge around $10/month for a > subscribtion. Would you fork that out for something like this? > > I wouldn''t be releasing the code under the GPL/BSD licences, but I > would open source the system for educational purposes, so it would be > a nifty set of code to learn Rails by example with. > > Apologies if this is a bit off-topic, but I figured I could get some > good input from the list, and, if I''m motivated to go ahead with the > project it''ll be a great Rails app to show off. > > Ben > _______________________________________________ > Rails mailing list > Rails-1W37MKcQCpIf0INCOvqR/iCwEArCW2h5@public.gmane.org > http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails >
On Apr 9, 2005 6:51 PM, Pat Maddox <pergesu-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w@public.gmane.org> wrote:> The demand for this is pretty big. I know of a couple billing systems > (ModernBill, DirectAdmin), but they''re all geared towards web hosting, > and they''re lacking in a lot of areas. I use a home-grown billing > app, but I know that the interest in this exact thing is high.I''ll toss out another one... http://www.openair.com I''ve used it for years off and on, love to see one in Ruby, and especially one where I can email the author :)> On Apr 9, 2005 11:51 AM, Ben Myles <ben.myles-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w@public.gmane.org> wrote: > > Hi everyone, > > > > I''ve been thinking about what I''d like to build in Rails as my first > > major application. I''m working on the ''code scrapbook'' system I > > mentioned in an earlier post, but I''m thinking of channeling most of > > my work into a new application: a web-based accounting system targeted > > towards consultants/developers. Some of the features I''m thinking of: > > > > * Multi-User: Create as many user accounts as you need, and > > track who does what and when > > * Your client''s can download invoices directly from the web > > * Your client''s can pay invoices through a web interface (by CC) > > * Email or fax invoices to client''s with the click of a button > > * Very simple system for people who don''t want to spend all their time > > in their accounting system > > * Automatically generate various IRS or ATO tax forms, ready to be > > signed and printed > > * Generate balance sheets, profit/loss statements etc > > * Interface with webservice to allow for programatically created > > invoices (eg. if you provide a web-based service, can automatically > > generate invoice then collect payment and store this info in the system) > > * Import/Export CVS data. Great for exporting into an external accounting > > program. > > > > This will be quite a large project, and if you''re self-employed I''d > > love your opinion as to whether this kind of system would interest > > you? Not sure how much interest there would be in it, but I *think* > > there''s demand for a simple accounting system that automates as much > > as possible and isn''t "bogged down" by feature-creep. > > > > If I go ahead with this, I''d expect to charge around $10/month for a > > subscribtion. Would you fork that out for something like this? > > > > I wouldn''t be releasing the code under the GPL/BSD licences, but I > > would open source the system for educational purposes, so it would be > > a nifty set of code to learn Rails by example with. > > > > Apologies if this is a bit off-topic, but I figured I could get some > > good input from the list, and, if I''m motivated to go ahead with the > > project it''ll be a great Rails app to show off. > > > > Ben > > _______________________________________________ > > Rails mailing list > > Rails-1W37MKcQCpIf0INCOvqR/iCwEArCW2h5@public.gmane.org > > http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails > > > _______________________________________________ > Rails mailing list > Rails-1W37MKcQCpIf0INCOvqR/iCwEArCW2h5@public.gmane.org > http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails >-- Bill Guindon (aka aGorilla)